Whisper a Dream

[Author's Note: Parallel Universe Theory applies -- I have no clue where this fic would fit in the GW series, so call this an Alternate Universe to the Alternate Universe. If I had to take a guess, it would be just after ep 7, if the guys had gotten to chat a bit and later if Duo and Quatre didn't compare notes about their missions, in ep 11. Oh, and with some of the phrasing here, I'm purposely making fun of the edited dub. I can change it if it annoys anyone. ^_~]

The L6 colony fell behind in preparations for Operation Meteor, but in the last week managed to finish the project. However, a day before the Op was to take place the designated pilot for Gundam LunaAria disappeared. L6's team watched, disheartened, as the first five "meteors" continued on schedule. A day after Operation Meteor a young woman arrived offering to be the new pilot. She proved capable of handling the gundam, and the team agreed to send her. Before rumours of the first five meteors could spread, LunaAria slipped into Earth's atmosphere and took up station in a remote part of Siberia.

Quatre heard the sound he loathed most -- an incoming mission notice. He turned to his computer and reluctantly opened the message. He sighed after reading it. He had promised Rashid that he wouldn't go off alone again...but this was a small, isolated base that didn't call for a whole army. Sandrock would make short work of it.
He sat for a long time in thought, a teacup, forgotten, clasped between his hands. Maybe he could convince Rashid to let him go alone. Or at least with only a small escort. He sighed again and looked back up at the screen. In one swift motion he sent an acknowledgement, closed the message, then shut down the computer a second later. He sat in the dark, cold tea in one hand, the other clenched in a fist on the desktop. He wished he didn't have to destroy at all.

"Saratov?"
"In Russia. It's a minor base, but I guess every hit counts."
Rashid did not look impressed. Quatre tried to inconspicuously sink down in his seat. He knew that look; he knew he wouldn't get away with going alone.
"I won't need more than five extra soldiers. It's a long way to move the entire corps..." Quatre looked up meekly. Rashid was scowling at the window. Quatre's hope sank.
"I know I shouldn't say this, but...I agree." Before too much light could come to the boy's eyes, Rashid added," A dozen fighters would be more appropriate, but we'll settle on half that."
Quatre smiled broadly. "Thank you! Begin preparations immediately!"

It was a small base, Quatre observed as Sandrock closed in on the location. A tiny complex on the edge of a river, it didn't even have soldiers' barracks. The gundam pilot wondered what was so important about this particular base that he had to destroy it. Perhaps it was a developmental facility, creating new types of mobile suits, or other weaponry. Whatever it was, a scan revealed no living beings on or near it. He sighed aloud in relief and prepared to bring Sandrock in for a landing inside the fence. The half-dozen Maguenacs agreed to stay outside in case the enemy decided on a late-night trip to their odd base.
Sandrock had leveled several buildings with just a few missiles when Quatre heard a strange sort of explosion. It was within the base, far from the Maguenacs. It left a dull ring in his ears that faded quickly. "That was...odd. What could it be?" He turned Sandrock in the direction of where the explosion had come from and cautiously lumbered toward it. A second blast followed shortly afterward, leaving his ears ringing again. He shook his head, scowling slightly. That is very strange...
Through the smoke he guided Sandrock around the side of the tallest building there, which didn't even clear the gundam's shoulder wings. He stopped short when he saw the cause of the explosions. Another mobile suit, roughly the same height as Sandrock, in shades of dark green, ice blue, and silver, and sporting a large cannon on each arm. It was currently hacking away at a line of jeeps with a beam-cutlass. Suddenly it turned and raised the cutlass at Sandrock. Quatre frowned but lashed out with one heat shorter to stop the blow. He had to put up the other one as well. The other suit was strong...Then he let a tight smile curve onto his face. He recognized the evenly-matched strength. "I'm getting tired of running into other gundams this way!" He broke the stalemate by sending Sandrock nimbly leaping back.
The other suit also drew back, but only to sheath the cutlass at its back. It then raised both arms, letting hands hang down, while aiming the two cannons at Sandrock. Quatre drew in a sharp breath and braced himself for the impact. He saw the other suit's arms recoil slightly. But there was no light, no sound of missile, or...then Sandrock began to shake to its very core. He gripped the controls, trying to figure out what was happening. A mere second later a deafening screech filled the air and he gripped the controls harder. Then he screamed in agony, clapping his hands over his ears, writhing in his seat.

A male-voiced scream came over the intercom in the other mobile suit. Its pilot gave pause. "Ah, the comm is not on..." the pilot murmured, confused. "And that suit is still standing..?" Then the pilot gasped and hastily flicked the two switches that closed the cannons back inside the arm casings. Their victim's suit slumped before falling backward. A building stopped it from completely lying flat. The pilot flicked the comm switch several times, now unsure of whether it had been on before or not. "Hey! Are you all right? Gundam?"
Quatre was hyperventilating. He couldn't hear! Couldn't hear beyond the ringing, ceaseless ringing in his ears! What if it didn't stop? He couldn't hear...No! He pressed his hands over his ears and screamed again. It wouldn't stop ringing...What could he do? It hurt...What if it didn't stop...he would never hear music again...no, not that! Even as the first sob welled up, he became aware of his own harsh, rapid breathing. The ringing subsided to a dull whine. And then a voice calling, "Gundam? You, gundam? Are you all right?"
Shakily he reached for the comm switch. "A-are you a gundam?" He hit the switch off then gasped a few more times, his panic slowly retreating.
"Yes. I am sorry. I did not know."
Suddenly all senses cleared, a feeling almost as painful as the previous ones. The voice was female. He paused to wonder at the possibility. "Are you all right?" The voice came again, breaking him from his thoughts. He finally noticed Sandrock was tilted too much to exit properly. He attempted to bring the gundam to a sitting position, but was too weakened. He radioed back to the newcomer, "I'll be okay, I just can't pilot too well right now. But don't make any sudden moves...My backup should be here in moments."
"I see them," the voice murmured with grim humor. "I am exiting my mobile suit. I have no weapons on me."
Several minutes later Sandrock was back on its feet with the help of four Maguenacs. Quatre stepped out of his suit to see the new pilot perched on the edge of the cockpit platform of the other gundam, the two remaining Maguenacs placed on either side with guns trained on her. Her. She wore green combat pants, black boots, and a maroon sweater. The wind ruffled her red-brown hair and her green eyes watched him with keen interest.
He sat down on the edge of Sandrock's platform. "What kind of cannons are those?" was the first question that popped out of his mouth. He then blushed, for he had meant to ask her name first.
"High-sonic blast. They are set at a frequency just below gundanium -- which is why both you and your suit are still in one piece." Her expression remained grim. "Although, you are very lucky. I'm a bit surprised..." Her voice trailed off when she saw a tick of pain twitch across his face; he was attempting to be unobtrusive about holding his right side. The girl slowly rose, putting her hands up. Before the others could blink she leapt across the gap between the two gundams, landing neatly with Quatre blocking a clear shot from the Maguenacs.
"Master Quatre!"
"D-don't worry." The blond pilot stiffened and watched her warily from the corner of his eyes.
"I won't hurt you. Just hold still." She expertly ran her hands down his spine, stopping just above his waist. He drew a sharp breath in pain. "I thought so." She took a flat roll of bandages out of a pouch on her hip and began wrapping it around the base of his ribs, startling him too much for him to react. "This would be more effective without the clothes but I doubt you want to get that personal right now." She tucked the last end under his vest then stood and offered him a hand up.
"Uhh." Quatre looked at her with uncertainty. After several tense moments, he reached out for her hand. She gave a small reassuring smile and hauled him to his feet with an effortless strength.
She shot a quick glance at the closet Maguenac then looked at Quatre again. "Do you have a base near here?"
He hesitated, then replied, "No, I'm from...farther south."
She looked to the ground thoughtfully. "I...I have a place we can go, to check the machines. And maybe talk. That is, if you will trust me." She stared hard at him before moving her eyes back and forth toward the Maguenacs closing in with weapons trained on her.
Quatre backed up toward Sandrock's cockpit. "Back down. She isn't a threat..." He gazed straight at her. "I trust her."
Her stance finally relaxed, quite visibly at that. She smiled, then took a leap back over to her gundam. She landed in a crouch; no one saw her wince and glare at her right knee. She scrambled over to the cockpit and slipped inside. "Just follow me. It's only a few dozen miles from here." She headed toward the complex's gate.
"Master Quatre?" ventured one of the Maguenacs. "Why don't we just go on our own way?"
The boy carefully lowered himself into Sandrock's pilot seat. "Because I want to see if my suit needs any repairs to prevent trouble later on." To himself, he thought, And I don't think I can go on too much farther without a good rest...

The girl's "base" turned out to be an abandoned airplane hangar, with more than enough room for the eight mobile suits. It took less than an hour to determine that Sandrock was in perfect shape. Quatre, however, was another matter.
After having his ribs re-wrapped properly, he and the six Maguenacs met with their host in a small anteroom where she had mugs of hot tea waiting. "Even in a gundam, that blast is a lot to take," she commented to Quatre, watching him sit down stiffly in a cross-legged position on the floor. He in turn observed how awkwardly she lowered herself to kneel across from him. "I should have known it would jar a few bones. But a day's rest should take away the soreness. I don't mind you staying here until you feel well enough to travel -- actually, I would insist you stay, since it was my fault. Again, I'm sorry."
"It's...okay..." Quatre mumbled into his tea. He mustered a weak smile. "I'm starting to get used to it. There are other gundams -- four others, to be exact. I met them all during battles against OZ, but fought with only one before I realized he and I were on the same side." His smile appeared to soften at the memory.
"I was not told of other gundams..." An unsettled look fell over her face.
"None of us were." Now he gazed at her and smiled reassuringly.
She didn't seem to be comforted by this fact. "But we could have destroyed each other if we didn't see the similarities first." She shivered.
Quatre looked back into the tea, unsure of what to say. After a few moments of nothing but the quiet murmuring of the whispering Maguenacs, he thought of something. "I never caught your name."
She looked up sharply, as if startled. Her voice was quiet as she replied, "Alexa."
Now it was his turn to look surprised. "Just that?"
"Why? It suits me just fine."
"It's...ah...different. I've always introduced myself by my full name: Quatre Raberba Winner."
She wasn't impressed. "Hmm. Strange custom. Well, if you insist: Alexa Irina Reaves."
He smiled weakly over the rim of his mug, feeling slightly embarrassed. She laughed softly.
"I suppose you name your gundam, too?" she asked with good-natured humor, "Something short, I hope."
He chuckled. "Sandrock."
"Ah. I trust it is a solid friend, then." Her voice held sincerity; he felt less silly. Before he could ask the same, she spoke in wistful tones, "Mine is LunaAria...The song of death comes in the night, singing those lost to their final peaceful sleep..."
He felt a quiver inside, and had to set down his tea or spill it. When he had recovered his nerve, he said softly, "Do you believe all this killing will bring peace to our world?"
Her face went still, no emotion showing anywhere except for a faint, distant look in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was similarly blank. "I do not know what I believe, just now."
They said no more for the rest of the evening.

Quatre stared into the darkness over his bunk, waiting for sleep to claim his thoughts. His ribs were still sore, but his back was not as stiff now, which he took as a good sign. It did hurt to move too quickly, so he tried not to shift restlessly. Outside the door to this small medical room was a larger barracks-type room where the Maguenacs had crashed for the night. Somewhere beyond that was the room Alexa was sleeping in. He hoped she was having an easier time resting than he was.
Six gundams, then. I seem fated to find them wherever I go. He smiled faintly in the dark. If there are any more, I'll probably meet them first, too. For some reason, he began to hope there weren't any others...
At last he drifted off into sleep, but it wasn't a restful one. Shortly after conscious thought ended subconscious picked up the slack. He dreamed that he was running through a tunnel of sorts, with only enough light from an unknown source revealing cold metal walls. He was fleeing from something he knew he didn't fear, but he ran anyway. Then he stumbled and fell, rolling with the momentum, fetching up against the wall. He immediately clutched his right knee, where crippling pain radiated up his leg. Death was coming down the tunnel toward him. He did not want to die yet, but still he did not fear it. It would make the agony in his leg stop, at least...

Also in the subconscious world, and a few hallways away from Quatre, Alexa was deep in the throes of a nightmare. She and another gundam were fighting OZ at an aero-space center. She wasn't sure what they were trying to do, but knew only that they had to fight for as long as possible. Stranger still was that she did not recognize the other mobile suit. It was most definitely not Sandrock, although it was partly black in color. It sliced through rank upon rank of Leos with a large beam scythe.
She concentrated on taking out hovering Aries with the sonic cannons. She had lost count of how many she had destroyed when a line of Tragos tanks suddenly appeared. They fired a merciless barrage before she could begin to move out of range. Several direct hits sent LunaAria crashing and skidding across the ground on its back. She braced herself as best she could as another rain of missiles fell. She couldn't tell if the other gundam was down or not.
Finally it stopped. Everything. There was no sound, OZ had paused inexplicably -- they had to have, for she knew she was still alive, LunaAria was still in one piece. Then pain erupted down her spine and a stabbing twinge took up residence around the base of her ribs. She curled up on the pilot's seat, hugging her sides and moaning. This was...this was...

Alexa's eyes flew open in the dark. She lay paralyzed for several seconds, gasping in fear. No, it couldn't be... She bolted upright, one hand going to her side. No. It had to have been a normal dream. Today was merely strange enough to inspire a strange dream...
She eased herself back down against the pillow, but she did not sleep again for the remainder of the night.

Quatre was silent as he and the six Maguenacs prepared to leave the next morning. Alexa was no where in sight, and the boy was hesitant to go looking for her. His dream had left him too unsettled to think of much else, but for some reason he felt he should talk to her one last time. Excusing himself from the main hangar, Quatre headed toward the rooms where they had slept. He spotted an open doorway and quietly approached, gathering words in his mind and sorting them into less muddled thoughts. He had almost figured out what to say when he realized it would make sense to call to her first to let his presence be known. However, he got a glance into the dark room before he stopped.
Alexa was sitting on the bed with her back to him, wearing a navy blue tank top and shorts...and numerous bandages. Both arms were wrapped above the elbow, and both ankles and her right wrist were braced as well. The heavy gauze also showed from under the top of the shirt. At the moment she was wrapping her right knee.
Quatre drew back from the doorway, pressing himself against the wall and fervently hoping she hadn't noticed him. One hand crept up to his heart. New questions surfaced in his mind. The dream, the strange pain, now Alexa's apparent injuries...He turned and hurried back down the hallway as silently as he could.
Within the room, Alexa had looked up a moment after he had ducked out of sight. She remained perfectly still and so caught the whisper of cloth as he walked away. She looked sadly at the floor, running one hand over the opposite bandaged arm. Then she reached for her pants, carefully sliding them on over her trick knee.

The Maguenacs were huddled around a comm monitor when Quatre reached the hangar. "There you are, Master Quatre! Hurry, Abdul has just established a link with the captain!"
The boy took Abdul's place in front of the monitor as Rashid's face appeared on the screen, and spoke before he could be admonished, "We are all fine, we merely ran into an unexpected obstacle -- another gundam."
Rashid scowled. "Why wasn't I contacted sooner? The rest of the corps was ready to come find you."
Before Quatre could stammer a reply, Abdul cut in, "We only just now got the equipment to work, sir -- we're at an abandoned base north of the first base."
"And we're preparing to leave now," Quatre added.
Rashid continued to scowl. "Very well." Then he terminated the comm link. Quatre grimaced; he was in trouble again.
The Maguenacs were laughing at the look on his face. "Don't worry, Master Quatre! We'll make sure he doesn't scold you too much!"
"Uh, thanks." Quatre stepped away to look up at Sandrock, putting a hand to his bandaged side. He did not look away when he sensed someone come up behind him, instead closing his eyes against the twinge of pain in his chest.
"Quatre." Alexa put her hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes enough to see that the sleeve of her sweater was pulled down over the hand. He hesitantly turned to face her, opening his eyes all the way to meet her gaze. "Quatre," she said again, more quietly. Rather than draw her arm back, she leaned forward a bit until her hand was over his heart. He glanced down in confusion, then stared at her questioningly, nervously taking a step back. Alexa lowered her arm to her side, but her gaze continued to bore into him.
Finally she jerked her attention toward the mobilizing Maguenacs. "Time to leave." Her gaze flicked over him once more. "We must talk again sometime." Without another word she headed toward her gundam.
Shaken, Quatre quickly did likewise. He took comfort in Sandrock's protective interior. He followed the Maguenacs out across the landing field, pausing to listen to LunaAria lumber off in the opposite direction. Now alone, he murmured, "Yes, we will meet again."

Chapter Two: Snow and Sand

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(c) 2000-2004 Autumn Loweck. This work may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted without the author's permission. Characters of Alexa and mech LunaAria are property of Autumn Loweck (aka Shiri) and may not be "borrowed" or mentioned in other works without notifying the author first. Characters of Quatre R. Winner and the Maguenacs belong to the creators of the GundamWing series, Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, and whoever else in Japan involved in this most cool anime.